Warriors Short: Escaping Past
by Hawkfire7
Summary: Gentlewhisker has always had an easy life as a loner taking care of her elders in the barn. But when someone comes and takes this life from her, she has to follow the path StarClan has given her to survive. Can she really trust these so-called StarClan cats, or is she following nothing but a lie that will lead her to her end?


**Escaping Past**

"Gentlewhisker, hurry up!" an old grey tabby tom called from the barn, impatiently waiting for his breakfast.

"I'm coming!" she called back through a mouthful of mouse. The young she-cat quickly padded inside, and hurried to a stack of rolled up hay. Stretching her neck into one of the holes between the rolls, she dropped her prey before the old tomcat.

"You couldn't have taken any longer!" the tom snorted rudely as Gentlewhisker looked down shyly, "Sorry."

"Oh, lighten up Wolf," another plump old tom mewed. His mottled brown pelt was faded with age. Gentlewhisker shook her head, "No, it's okay Bear. I'll be faster next time Wolf, I promise," she dipped her head, and the soft grey she-cat trotted quickly out of the barn for a walk in the Leaf-fall sun.

"She's growing into a fine she-cat Wolf," Bear purred, but there was no reply. "Wolf? Are you dozing off you silly sack of bones?" Bear teased, and peered inside to find Wolf gone. Nothing but blood remained, and the mottled brown tom bristled, "Wol-?!" Bear started to say before teeth sank deep into the back of his neck and his eyes glazed over.

Gentlewhisker wandered along the field of the golden corn stalks, following the gentle rise of the slope as the cool morning air flowed through her fur and gently tugged at her whiskers. She always enjoyed exploring and roaming the territory around the barn. The sun crept over the canopies and began to climb toward the sky when Gentlewhisker looked up. Upon realizing that the sun was nearing sun-high, she quickly padded toward the base of a wide and old oak tree. After stripping some moss, she then hurried back to the barn.

"Bear! I've got the new moss you've been wanting for your nest!" she called as she entered the barn. Nothing came in reply. "Bear? Wolf?" she said a little louder. _That's strange, usually Bear is there in an instant when I get him some new moss, _she thought, but then shrugged and padded back over to the hay bales. Cheerfully, she trotted beside the bales over to Bear's nest. Her hackles rose and she screamed whenever she spotted his blood in his nest. She looked wildly about.

"Wolf? Where's Bear?!" she yowled as she thrust her head into the hole between the bales to find the two bodies of her elders. Gentlewhisker stepped back in fright and wailed in agony. The young she-cat stood there, speechless and unknowing of what to do. She took a deep shuddering breath as she gently pulled out Wolf, and then Bear. Gentlewhisker flattened her ears against the death scent and she laid on her side next to them, and whimpered.

"Oh, what am I going to do," she mewed. Her voice was thick with sadness. Gentlewhisker lie next to her deceased friends, staring at the sun until it set into night and her eyes shut. She welcomed sleep with a saddened heart.

"Wake up," a voice whispered softly in her ear, and her dark blue eyes burst open. Her head shot up in an instant and she looked about. Then her eyes settled down on her friends. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she stood stiffly from the hay and then padded outside. After a small trek to the wide oak tree, she began to dig with her paws. Once two small holes had been made, she trotted back to the barn. Her breath could be seen lifting into the air as the pale moon cast a blanket over the earth. The once golden stalks of corn were now dark and looming. She slowly and carefully dragged the two bodies single-pawed to the oak graves.

Gentlewhisker lifted both toms down gently into their resting places and stared down at them. "Good-bye my friends, I don't know what I'll do without you." She covered the holes with dirt and wished them farewell before heading back to the barn. Now alone, Gentlewhisker strode over to the hay bale stack and then climbed into Wolf's favorite hole. Stinky or not, she missed them already.

A twig snapped. She raised her head and her dark blue eyes gazed out from her nest. "Hello?"

Nothing but the crickets and a few night owls sounded. Gentlewhisker crawled out of the hole and stalked around the barn, jumping at every sound. A paw glided over hay, and she spun around with hackles high. She gazed at nothing but hay. _It's nothing, probably just a mouse silly! _she thought to herself. Giving a small chuckle was the only way to reassure herself. Just as she thought she was safe, teeth gripped her scruff and pulled her to the floor. She only had enough time to let a yowl escape before she fainted.

* * *

Gentlewhisker woke up, and shot to her paws dizzily. "Where am I?" she looked about and then continued, "Who's there?"

After blinking her eyes a couple of times, Gentlewhisker finally took in her surroundings. It was nighttime and she was surrounded by an unfamiliar forest. Never before had she seen such a lush forest. Under the masking sound of crickets, she could hear a mouse scrabbling nearby. The green leaves, lush territory, and plentiful prey could only mean one thing. It was Green-leaf. _Green-leaf? But it's Leaf-fall! _Utterly confused, Gentlewhisker sat.

Then she heard the noise of a rustle nearby. Bristling, she clambered up the nearest tree, and clung to a branch. From the undergrowth came a cat. Her paws were like stardust and her pelt beamed bright beautifully. The fiery ginger she-cat padded to the base of the tree and looked up. "I can scent your fear young one, don't try to hide from me." Her forest green eyes met Gentlewhisker's.

Gentlewhisker quickly scraped higher up the tree and stared down at her seemingly frightening pursuer, who was watching her calmly with a slight trickle of amusement on her face. "Don't be afraid young one," she chuckled. Gentlewhisker hid further in the leaves.

"You are a shy one," she purred. "What's your name little one?"

Gentlewhisker sat in the leaves, uncertain whether to respond to this stranger or not. "G-gentle-w-whisker," she stuttered quietly.

"Come down here Gentlewhisker," she said softly and assuringly. The soft-grey loner slowly and hesitantly slid down the tree. Once down, Gentlewhisker pressed against the tree, not daring to get any closer. "W-who are y-you?" she stuttered.

"I am Foxfur of StarClan," she replied calmly.

_Her name is as strange as mine is! But who is StarClan? They must be the cats that slayed my friends! _Gentlewhisker concluded as she unsheathed her claws. They were always longer than her denmates for some reason. She flattened her ears, not wanting to use her claws, but her eyes shone dangerously. Foxfur purred, "You're as strong as I knew you'd always be."

Gentlewhisker became confused, _I've never seen her in my life! How does she know who I am? _"How do you know who I am?" she asked a little braver.

"I am your mother," she replied simply. Gentlewhisker bristled, and she blinked with shock. Then Foxfur continued, "Why do you think you have such a strange name, dear?"

Gentlewhisker blinked and then narrowed her eyes unbelievingly, "Then where have you been?"

Foxfur sighed, "I am dead, dear. I have joined StarClan, the deceased warriors of the Clans."

Gentlewhisker bristled, "Y-you're a ghost!?" She stepped back frightfully.

"Stay calm young one. I won't hurt you nor StarClan. We are here to guide your paws," Foxfur assured.

"But how did you die? And where is my father?" Gentlewhisker asked, her words were tumbling out of her mouth.

"Whenever you were born, my mate being a rogue named Storm, we had been being hunted by the same cats that threaten you now. In an effort to save you, Storm told me of some friends of his," she explained.

"Bear and Wolf," she whispered.

"Yes. We tried to bring you to them, but one of the cats hunting us spotted us during travel. He attacked me first, and the rogue was soon followed by more of them. Your father had been holding you. I told him to escape with you, and he tried to stay, but it was obvious we were going to lose. He took off, and I was slayed that day," her eyes had grown distant. Then she continued, "Storm made it, and dropped you off. It was to risky for him to stay, so he went back home." Her eyes became sad, "Storm has never believed in StarClan, so it was hard to find him. I believe he's still alive."

"Then how were you able to find me?" Gentlewhisker asked.

"Because I followed Storm from StarClan, but once you were at the barn, my bigger concern was to see if you had made it and how you were doing. He left shorter than I expected, and I haven't been able to find him since," Foxfur replied. Gentlewhisker mulled over the situation, and then looked up at her. Foxfur was blinking warmly at her. "Maybe this will help you remember," Foxfur purred. She then licked behind Gentlewhisker behind the ear, causing some of the fur to be ruffled cutely. Gentlewhisker's memory was jolted into her, she could remember being hungry and scared. As a dark pelt was plunging away from the snowy forest, she could see her mother's beautiful ginger pelt being covered with pelts. She had wailed, asking for Mommy, but the dark pelt never stopped.

Gentlewhisker was startled back into reality with a blink of shock, her dark eyes were round.

"Now you know you can trust me. You must listen to me very carefully my daughter, the rogues have found you, and you _must _go to the Clans. It is the only way you can escape these rogues. The travel seems long, but you must make it to ThunderClan," Foxfur mewed urgently.

"ThunderClan?" Gentlewhisker echoed.

"Yes, they are brave and loyal forest cats, that live for each other. They follow a code set for them by StarClan to stay true and just. You have their blood. Finding them is the only way to survive from them," she explained.

Gentlewhisker was alarmed by the sudden urgency in her voice and she nodded, taking in every word. "I'm afraid," Gentlewhisker whispered.

"Don't be. Be strong my kit," Foxfur purred in her ear, "And believe that StarClan will guide your paws." Gentlewhisker nodded, and the same voice that woke her up in the barn uttered from Foxfur's mouth, "Wake up."

* * *

Gentlewhisker's eyes shot open to find herself in a small cave. Everything was almost pitch black inside, and she could not see a light source, implying that there wasn't an exit nearby. The small trickle of water through the cave echoed loudly, and made Gentlewhisker realize how thirsty she was. Standing up, she walked blindly around the cave, feeling with her whiskers until she found wetness under-paw. Leaning down, she lapped at the cool and refreshing water.

"Don't drink that pathetic dirt water," a deep mew echoed around the cave. Gentlewhisker, who's eyes had adjusted to where she could barely see anything but silhouettes, spun around. Her eyes darted around the cave till her eyes settled upon a broad-shouldered tomcat. He was the easiest thing to see in the cave considering his white pelt. "Then again, it's the only water in this sad excuse of a cave," he said dryly.

Gentlewhisker bristled and crouched low, backing against the wall. "Well you're a lot less brave than your parents you scrap, it will be a shame to kill you so easily."

Gentlewhisker flattened her ears and her eyes were wide with panic. _What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?! _her thoughts screamed in her mind as the tom's blue eyes narrowed. He took a step closer with a crooked grin on his face, and his claws unsheathed. His eyes were lit with pleasure. "I'll go easy on you, sweetheart," he chuckled darkly.

Just then, a few cats shuffled quickly into the room, "Cynical, we found unfamiliar rogue scent crossing through our borders!" the dark colored tom called, with his patrol nodding. Cynical looked over at them, "What do you mean rogue scent?" he snarled.

This was Gentlewhisker's chance. She watched fearfully, when suddenly Foxfur's voice stirred her ear softly, _Run_.

Jolting out of her fright, Gentlewhisker burst into a sprint, flashing around the fuming Cynical and then shouldering through the patrol into the small tunnel they had entered through. Panting heavily with fear and adrenaline, she used her whiskers that were scraping against the side of the cave to guide her paws. Screeching was heard from behind her, and a thunder of paws echoed through the cave. "Get her! Get her now you idiots!" Cynical screamed, as his voice and paws grew louder as well.

Gentlewhisker rushed through the cave, if her paws weren't making enough noise, her breathing definitely was. To her luck, she could see light splicing through a crack up ahead. She burst into a room, only to find that the light was coming from a crack in the ceiling. _Oh no! _Her head screamed. Gentlewhisker's head shot to the tunnel she had just exited as Cynical thrust his head and broad shoulders forcibly through the entrance.

"There you are, sweetheart!" he mewed darkly with his crooked grin returning. He stalked toward her. "If you escape, I'll just find you and kill you anyway. Why don't you just stay here and welcome your death. You and I both know that we're faster and fitter than you."

Gentlewhisker blinked uncertainly. He stepped closer. "It's not as bad as you think it is, it's over quickly and then you'll rest in peace." Cynical wrapped stalked, circling her. Gentlewhisker began to relax, his words soaking into her thoughts. Just as she was about to reply, she heard Foxfur's voice sound again.

_Jump._

With Gentlewhisker's determination returning, she unsheathed her claws quickly and scored Cynical's face. He flinched backward and gave an angry yowl as Gentlewhisker gave the biggest jump of her life.

Her claws caught on to the edge of the crack in the ceiling, and she scrabbled, her hind legs hanging, suspended by her forelegs. One of Cynical's cronies swatted at her legs, scraping her thigh and biting her tail before Gentlewhisker shook free and hauled herself up the thin crack. Scrabbling to her paws, she looked about the sunny leaf-fall day. She was standing on an open plain with a few dusty thunderpaths crisscrossing here and there. Up ahead, there was a twolegplace that was thickly strum with twoleg nests and yard fences. They yapping of a few dogs could be heard, even from that far away.

It was sun-high as she bolted toward the twolegplace, knowing that it wouldn't be long before Cynical and the others began to catch up. Sprinting across the open field she neared the twoleg place, and her head wipped around to take a gander at how far away her pursuers were. Distantly, she could see Cynical's patrol bursting from a cave entrance farther away from the crack she had escaped through. Her heart racing, she entered the twolegplace, running in between yards and hopping over dumpsters. Whatever the case, she had to lose them quickly.

Gentlewhisker skidded to a halt as she got to the edge of the thunderpath. A monster rushed by where she would have been if she kept going. Frightened, she stepped back, and hopped into the nearest hiding spot. Looking out from her hiding place, she saw another monster rush by, its round black paws and bright beaming eyes angrily zooming past.

_Cross._

Gentlewhisker heard her mother whisper into her ear, and she shakily stepped up to the thunderpath. Blinking fearfully at the black tar, she heard yowls and looked behind her. There she saw Cynical and his patrol bounding through yards and springy grasses. Bristling, Gentlewhisker turned to the thunderpath. She shook like a leaf as another monster whooshed by her face. Scrabbling for her life, Gentlewhisker strided onto the thunderpath as the patrol reached the tar stretch. A monster began to bolt along the path, getting dangerously close to her. Gentlewhisker soon reached the other side, her breath releasing in relief as her paws reached twoleg grass once more. The monster had caused the patrol to stumble to a halt, as Gentlewhisker seized the chance and pushed further.

Angry yowls could be heard over the uproarious monsters. Never before had Gentlewhisker been so scared in her life. She soon reached a new clump of twoleg nests, as her paws began to drag in exhaustion. The sun had just sunk under the horizon as she slowed with fatigue. Her eyes shot around the area, searching for anything that could hide her from the approaching patrol. Cynical's group neared dangerously and their lifted tail could be seen flitting between the yards. Gentlewhisker looked about, panicking. Then her eyes settled on a twoleg nest with a small door on the front. She had no choice but to enter the den, knowing that dealing with a twoleg was a thousand times better than dealing with death.

Gentlewhisker bounded through the den on the soft spungy flooring, and raced into the furthest room from the door. As she passed by, a twoleg yowled is surprise as she slithered under a hardy nest that had a dark and small opening below it. A silver tabby she-cat bounded into the room after her and she growled.

"Come out, intruder, I know you're under the bed!"

Gentlewhisker's dark blue gaze glowed under the bed staring frightfully at the tabby. "I don't mean any harm! I just need shelter!"

"For what reason?" the silver tabby snarled.

"There's a patrol of cats chasing me, they're trying to kill me!" Gentlewhisker replied fearfully, the words tumbling out of her mouth faster than she could handle.

The silver tabby queen blinked in surprise, and then narrowed her eyes. "Not on my territory they aren't!" she growled ferociously. The she-cat turned tail and then headed for the small cat door. Slipping through her hackles raised threateningly.

Right after the silver queen left, the twoleg stomped in angrily, looking about the house with a snarl. This twoleg's unwanted guest didn't dare to make the slightest noise. The twoleg began to give up whenever a yowl was heard from outside. Gentlewhisker pricked her ears and the twoleg spun around, racing for the door calling out something.

Gentlewhisker heard the twoleg yowl angrily, and then a few hisses before the twoleg came back inside carrying the silver queen who had a fresh wound on her leg. After setting the queen on the ground, he turned-bending down-and clogged up the hole in the door. Angry hisses were heard from outside, and soon died off, but Gentlewhisker was not at ease. She crept from the room into the biggest room. The twoleg was wrapping a strange white herb around the queens leg, mewing worriedly. Once wrapped, he laid her gently down on a strange squishy nest that sat higher than the floor.

She quietly crept up to the silver queen as the twoleg hurried into a different room. "Are you okay?" Gentlewhisker asked shyly but worriedly.

The queen nodded, grimacing, "I'll be alright. So why are they trying to hurt you?"

"They've been trying to kill of my family for a while now," Gentlewhisker's head lowered in sadness, "I'm the only one left..."

Her amber eyes full of sympathy, the silver queen cocked her head, "Why?"

"I don't know," Gentlewhisker admitted, fumbling with her paws nervously. "My mother, Foxfur, and my father, Storm, didn't have time to tell me. I was just a kitten."

"You're related to Storm?! Why didn't you just say so?" the silver queen mewed excitedly. "He lives around here, and usually gets some sparing food from the twolegs that thrive here!"

"Where is he?" Gentlewhisker asked demandingly, her nervousness had left her.

"He sleeps next to the trash by our neighbor. We talk all the time, my name is Lily," she purred. It was almost as if her leg wound had never existed. "We've been mates for a couple of moons now," she said excitedly. "I'm Gentlewhisker," she replied.

Gentlewhisker shifted awkwardly. _So my dad moved on? How could he when my mother saved him and cared for him so much?_

"Well...um...thanks for not killing me when I came in," Gentlewhisker joked to rid herself of the strange feeling.

"You're welcome!" Lily purred.

"Is there any way that I can get to him?"

"Yeah, like I said, he sleeps by the neighbor's dumpster every night," Lily replied.

"What's a neighbor?" Gentlewhisker asked confused.

"Oh! Silly me, it's the twoleg's nest next door!" she flicked her tail as if the nest could be seen from where she lay.

Gentlewhisker nodded slowly. _I'll have to wait until tonight, but how am I supposed to get past Cynical's patrol? _she shuddered. _Maybe they'll be sleeping. I have to try, he's the only one I know who knows how to get to ThunderClan! _

"Hey Lily," Gentlewhisker started.

"Yes?"

"Can you wake me at moonrise?" she asked.

"Moonrise?" Lily queried with confusion.

"Whenever the moon starts to rise," Gentlewhisker replied.

Lily nodded, and as Gentlewhisker could begin to hear the twoleg approaching, she darted into the last room and went under the 'bed' as Lily called it. Curling in the farthest corner of the small cave, Gentlewhisker fell quickly into a well deserved rest.

* * *

Gentlewhisker was prodded awake by a soft paw, and when she looked up, her eyes met Lily's amber gaze. "It's moonrise Gentlewhisker!" she whispered. When the two crawled back out from under the bed, Gentlewhisker noticed how Lily's bandage had been replace with fresh herbs. "How is your wound healing up?" Gentlewhisker asked.

"It's doing fine, nothing but stiffness," Lily replied cheerily.

The two she-cats trotted to the door. Lily quickly pawed at the object clogging the door. "There you go! Now off you go youngster!" Lily mewed.

"Thanks, Lily," Gentlewhisker smiled.

"You're very welcome."

"Hey Lily?" Gentlewhisker asked.

"Yeah?" Lily cocked her head.

"I might never see you again, so..." Gentlewhisker started.

"No need youngster. Travel safely, the farther you get from those rascals the better," Lily interrupted.

Gentlewhisker smiled, and then slipped through the cat door into the moon-bathed twolegplace. She shivered against the cold. _It won't be long now before leaf-bare settles in. _Taking in her surroundings, she soon spotted the patrol dozing off nearby. There was one tomcat who was supposed to keep watch but was drifting into his own dreams. Thanking StarClan, Gentlewhisker stalked across the yard, slipping by them and over to the neighboring house. Peering around the corner, she spotted a dark pelt slumped against the dumpster. Gentlewhisker crept closer to get a better look, but she got too close and the dark furred cat's dark blue eyes shot open and he launched himself at her.

Slamming Gentlewhisker into the ground, the dark furred cat gave a triumphant growl. Gentlewhisker shrunk away from him as he stared down at her with glinting teeth. His head shot forward with teeth bared as Gentlewhisker cried, "Stop, Daddy!"

The tom stopped, staring down at her in confusion. "Daddy?" his deep mew queried. Then his snarl returned, "How do you know me?" he demanded.

"It's me, Gentlewhisker!" she cried.

His deep blue gaze widened in shock, "Gentlewhisker...how did you find me?" he asked breathlessly.

"Lily," she answered.

Storm narrowed his eyes, his strength returning, "Why aren't you at the barn with Bear and Wolf?" he demanded again.

Gentlewhisker flattened her ears, "They're dead...Cynical killed them."

Storm's eyes widened, "But, he couldn't have found you! You were supposed to be safe there!" He stepped off of her and Gentlewhisker got to her paws.

"They're here right now, chasing me down. I need your help. Foxfur-" she started but was interrupted.

"Foxfur?!" Storm brightened at her name. "Is she still alive?" he looked overwhelmingly hopeful and Gentlewhisker flinched.

"No, she isn't. She died," Gentlewhisker replied sadly.

Storm drooped, "Oh."

"Anyway," Gentlewhisker shook her head to clear the feeling, "Foxfur came to me from StarClan and told me that I need to find ThunderClan in order for me to survive them."

Storm stared at her. "StarClan? Really?" he replied skeptically.

"Y-yes," Gentlewhisker stuttered, surprised by the sudden undertone. _Foxfur was right, he doesn't believe a lick of StarClan. _"Come here. I have proof that they're following me." Gentlewhisker brought him to Lily's yard and flicked her tail at Cynical's heavily muscled white pelt. Storm turned to her.

"Alright, at least that much makes sense," he mewed quietly.

"So can you help me?" Gentlewhisker asked eagerly.

"Yes," he replied.

"Great!" Gentlewhisker purred relieved.

"But I can only take you to the end of the twolegplace. I can't abandon Lily like that," Storm warned.

Gentlewhisker glared at him for a moment, but knowing that pointing him out would only make things worse, she stood. Storm surveyed the patrol for a moment before sneaking beyond them and through gardens. Moonhigh had come and gone quickly as they rummaged deeper into the twolegplace. After crossing several thunderpaths, and avoiding detection for hours, dawn was starting to creep in on them.

Storm and Gentlewhisker both dragged their paws through a few more nests before resting by another dumpster. But Gentlewhisker could scarcely sleep with the thought of Cynical catching up and murdering them in the night. With only a few winks of sleep, Storms shook Gentlewhisker at sun-high. "Come on, we need to go if we don't want them to catch up," his voice rumbled with a rusty mew.

Gentlewhisker got up quickly, eager to have the satisfying thought of traveling ahead of their pursuers. Even though they had rested till the sun was at its highest point, both cats were blinking with exhaustion. As the sun dipped lower and the horizon began to swallow the sun they finally reached the edge of the twolegplace. "Well, this is it," Storm mewed. "This is as far as I will take you my kit."

Gentlewhisker nodded awkwardly. The two hadn't talked barely at all since the first night they met. Him calling her his kit was just too awkward. Especially since he was starting a different family, but she couldn't help but feel a rush of loneliness as he turned away to leave. "Storm?" she queried.

He turned back around to look at her, "What?"

Her shy quirkiness disappeared as she stepped forward and hugged him, "Thanks, Dad."

Storm gave a rusty smile, "You're welcome sweetheart," he purred. He then stepped back, "You better go before they catch up, travel safely."

"You too," she whispered softly enough to which he couldn't hear as he padded back into the twolegnests and tangle of thunderpaths.

Gentlewhisker watched him leave, and when he disappeared, she turned and padded into the grassy plain that lay ahead. It was soon followed by mountains.


End file.
